Improvement in compressed-air baths



N.PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D- C /mw M22/MW /fffg NrrnnSTATES PATENT PAUL fr. WARE, or TORONTO, cANADA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,655, dated May 8,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL T. WARE, ot' Toronto, in the county of York andProvince of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCompressed-Air Baths for the Treatment of Diseases; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure lis acentralvertical section of abathingapartment with my surrounding case or jacket and other improvements.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same in the plane of line w w,Fig. l, showing a plan of the bottom, the air-heating and air-purifyingcylinders, and condenser or force-pump. Fig. 3 is a section made by thesame plane, but looking in an opposite direction, representing a plan ofthe under side of the ceiling or top of the bathing-apartment. Fig. 4tis a central vertical section of the heating and purifying cylinders andcondensing-pump. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a different arrangement ofthe pipes with the purifying steam and ice cylinders.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thetgures.

My invention relates to the method ofadministerin g com pressedair bathsas patented by 0. Stone, October 24, 1865 and it consists of thefollowing improvements: first, the warming of the compressed-air chamberby means of a steam or hot-air coil, or its equivalent, surrounding thesame and inclosed within a nonconducting case or jacket for the equaland uniform diffusion of warmth throughout the apartment occupied by thepatient; second, heating the compressed air before it is intro ducedinto the bath'ehamber by means of a coil passing through a steam-chestcondenser; third, the arrangement and employment of cocks or valves,which are accessible only to the patient, by which he can regulate thetemperature to adapt'it to his comfort and requirements, therebyavoiding the miscalcula tions and errors ot' outside attendants, which`might result fatally by raising the temperature two high fourth, thearrangement of safety-valve which is inaccessible to the patient, sothat the pressure of the condensed air cannot be made to exceed acertain safe limit, whereby the possibility of bursting the chamber isprevented; fifth, the method of introducing water against the pressureof the condensed air in the chamber, to administer a shower-bath to thepatient while taking the warm bath 5 sixth, introducingartificiallyheated air into the bath-chamber, and also artificial heataround the exterior wall of the same by means of the heating-coil c, orby other means of radiation and absorption, simultaneously with the actof relieving the bathchamber from the pressure of condensation, in orderto counteract the reduction of the temperature within said chamber bythe heat becoming latent in consequence of the sudden rarefaction of theair.

As represented in the drawings, Ais the compressed-air chamber orbathing-apartment, conapartmentA, and leaving an air-spacebetween thetwo cylinders.

a c is a steam or hot-air coil surrounding the compressed -air chamber,for the purpose of heating the sides ofthe same and the surroundingspace, and thereby preventing the radiation of heat from the former.

C is the air-condenser or force-pump, which may be of any suitableconstruction. From this pump the compressed air is forced through theeductionpipe b into the purifier D, which consists of an air-tightcylinder partially illed with lime-water or other absorbent ofcarbonicacid gas and other deleterious properties present in the airemployed. From this cylinder it emerges by pipes 6 c, through which,when used cold, it passes directly into the bathchamber; but if requiredto be warmed the i passage through this pipeis closed at its terminationby the cap 7c, which causes the air to diverge through the pipe f intothe coil dwhich is situated in a heating-cylinder, E, provided withsteam exit and entrance pipes d2 cl3, by which'the coil is keptsurrounded by the exhaust-steam of the engine which drives the pump.From the heater the air enters the bath through the pipe g g. The valved', by which the heat is regulated by the amount of steam permitted toenter the heater E, is under the control ot' the patient in the bath, aswill be hereinafter described.

The compressedair apartmentAmaybe con structed in any suitable manner soas to be air-tight. It is secured against expansion by means of acentral bar, F, and four or more rods connecting the upper and lowerbase plates, it. In the bottom is spread a stratum, j, ofplaster-of-paris, lime, or other porous material, through which passesthe cold-air pipe e to the center of the chamber, where it terminates,and is provided with a screw-cap, 7c, for closing the same whenrequired.

The hot-air pipe g is formed in a coil, g g', resting on the stratum j,which also terminates at the center, where it has a thread cut on itsend for screwing' on cap 7c.

At the top and bottom of the apartment are two valves or stop-cocks, ZZ', of any suitable construction, and both accessible to the patient oroccupant of the chamber, the upper one, l, opening into a pipe, fm,through which the air may be discharged into the chimneyv or other mainflue, or directlyinto the open air. lz is a safety-valve of similarconstruction, inaccessible to a person within, but accessible fromwithout by means of the passage m from the jacket B. The valves l Z areaccessible to the occupant of the bath, so that he may regulate theamount of air-pressure in the chamber according to his sensations, whichcannot be known by an attendant outside of the bath. As the compressedair from the pump is constantly entering to supply that which isconsumed in breathing, the regulation of the escape valves determinesthe pressure maintained in the bath, which may be that of two or threeatmospheres, or more or less, according to theystrength and condition ofthe patient; but as the sensation from inhaling the condensed air isusually agreeable and exhilerating, patients are liable to produce toogreat a pressure by keepin gthe escape-valves too much closed, andthereby incur danger from the burstingof thebath-chamber. Topreventthisthe safety-valve Z2 is made inaccessible to the occupant, and is loadedso that it will open before the pressure of air within the chamberreaches a point that might be dangerous.

A depression, a, is formed in the stratum j, through which and thebottom plate, t', is an opening, a', having a pipe, 0, leadingtherefrom, through which the water, in bathing, is discharged, the holea being closed by a plug, p, or other suitable means.

Gis afloor of wood or other suitable material above the coil gg,perforated or formed of slats, with spaces between them for the passageof the water and air, as shown in Fig 2.

VIngress and egress is had into and from the apartment A through a door,H, and a suitable inclosed passage through the surrounding air space andjacket B. The door swings inward, and is made tight by the air withinthe room pressing the same against a rubber or other suitable packing,q, Fig. 2.

The bath-chamber is properly lighted by windows I I, also provided withinclosed passages opening into the space outside of the jacket.

The pipe a, which supplies steam to the coil a a, is provided with astop-cock, r, by which the ow through the same, and consequently ,theheat, may be regulated by the patient, the

coil terminating in a pipe, a2, through which the steam escapes.

J is a center-table secured to a sleeve-bracket, which, being providedwith a set-screw, s, enables the table to be raised out of the way whenrequired for the entrance ot' a bed or stretcher, as shown in red lines,Fig. 1.

K K are two openings or pipes, provided with suitable stop-cocks t t,for the entrance into and escape of air from the non-conducting spacewhen it is required to cool the central compartment for administeringacold-air bath.

L and M are two water-reservoirs, represented of cylindrical form,resting on the top of j acket B, the former being designed for cold andthe latter for warm water. The water in M may be heated by means of asteam-coil, c c, connected by a pipe, c', with the exhaustpipe of theengine. rlhe degree of heat is regulated by a stop-cock, r', in pipe c',which is operated by the occupants ot' the apartment A, as shown inFigs. l and 2. Pipes w w extend downward from the reservoirs into thebathing-apartment, and are provided at their lower ends with perforatedplates or other device, and stop-cocks y y for administeringshower-baths, hot and cold, whenever desired. Communication is made fromthe compressedair chamber to the top of the reservoirs L M by means ofpipes u a, so as to equalize the pressure of the air, and thereby causethe water to fiow through the pipes 'w 'w when required.

At the conclusion of a cold-air bath, as the pressure is let oli' thebath the heat is absorbed by the rarefaction of the atmosphere, which solowers the temperature as to condense the moisture and produce vapors inthe bathchamber. The respiration and circulation of the patients havingbeen so increased by the condensed air that they have breathed as toproduce a glow of warmth, the sudden reduction of the temperature fromthis cause is attended with very unpleasant effects, and with rigors andchills that are pernicious to those ofenfeebled condition. Hence someprovision adequate to restore the amount of caloric that has becomelatent or insensible by the expansion of the air when relieved frompressure becomes necessary. To counteract this effect the air is blownthrough the heater, so as to deliver warm air into the bath-chamber, andthus prevent the patient becoming chilled. This may be done through thesame pipe by turning it through the heater, or by another pipe for thepurpose. When but one pipe is used it passes in a coil through thesteam-heater; but the steam is not let on to heat it until the pressureis being let off the bath, producing the condition which requires anelevation of the temperature to p rotect the patient from injuriouschilling. rllhe heated air may also be made to circulate through theheating-coil a surrounding the exterior of the bath-chambersimultaneously with the letting off of the pressure within the bath, soas to aid in maintaining the uniform temperature at the close of theoperation which is so essential to the comfort and welfare of thepatient.

1n warm weather it may be desirable to cool the air by passing itthrough an ice-cylinder before it enters the bath-chamber. Fig. 5represents an arrangement for this purpose, in which Q represents theice-cylinder, and e' a branch pipe, which, diverging from e soon afterthe latter leaves the purifier, opens into the ice-cylinder. At thebottom of this cylinder a pipe, c2, conducts the cooled air into pipe g,with which it forms a junction before the latter enters thebath-chamber. "Near the junction of the pipes e c', and in the same, isa double valve or stop-cock, operated by the handle e3 within thebath-room, and so arranged that when the valve in one pipe is open thatin the other will be closed, and vice versa. By this means the purifiedair from D may be made to pass through either the ice or steam cylinder,or through both, by turning the handle c3 so as to leave both valvespartially open. This arrangement renders it necessary for only one pipe,g, to enter the bathchamber, and thereby dispenses with the use of pipee and cap 1c within the same.

The operation of my improvements, constructed as before described, is asfollows: The safety-valve is rst adjusted so that the pressure withinthe bath-chamber cannot exceed a certain safe limit. The patient orpatients then enter the apartment through doorH and thecondensingdyumptlis set in motion. Then, if a cold bath is required, theoccupant closes the hot-air pipe g by the means of the screwcap 7c,leaving the cold-air pipe e open. The air which has been forced throughpipe b escapes through the perforations in c into the lime-water orother preparation in the purifier D, when, in rising through the same,as shown by arrow, Fig. 4, the greater affinity of the lime attracts andretains the impurities in it, the now purified air being forced throughpipe cinto the apartment, where it is discharged through the open end ofthe same. The patient can now regulate the degree of compression of theair by means of either or both of the valves l l', adjusting the sameaccording to the pressure required, the employment of both beingpreferable, as it elects a better ventilation by allowing an escape,from both the top and bottom, of the vitiated air. He can modify thetemperature of the room to suit his requirements by means of the handled! of the steamvalve, as heretofore described.

When a Warm bath is required the patient transfers the cap k to pipe e,leaving the hotair pipe g' open, which compels the air to pass throughthe heating-cylinder, pipe g, and coil g', from whence it escapes intothe bath-chamy ber. The temperature of the air and room are regulatedbythe handle cl, as before stated, and by the handler of the valve whichregulates the ow through the surrounding steamcoil a a.

The water shower-baths can be taken at any time during either of the air-baths by the patient merely turning the cocks y or y', as a warm orcold one is required, the temperature ofthe warm one being regulated bythe valvcr.

The advantages of these improvements are obvious when it is consideredthat the effect of subjecting patients differently constituted to theinhalation of compressed air is widely different, producing variationsin the circulation varying with the vital energy and plethoric conditionof the patient. As he is for the time isolated from all communicationoutside,

it is highly important that there should be provided the most perfectand complete means of adapting the temperature to his wants, both inrespect to the whole apartment and to the air which is supplied by thepump. Thus, as the treatment produces a sense of chilliness in some,while in others of a more plethoric habit great heat prevails as anatural consequence of the increased amount of carbon consumed in thesystem, the only means of making the treatment safe and agreeable is toplace all of the valves which control the temperature and quantity ofair under the patients own control. Provided With suitable instructionsbefore entering, he may then safely and easily go through the variousvprocesses and conditions ofthe treatment, modifying it from hot tocold, as he may require, by simply manipulating the valves, and taking ashowerbath of water (cold or warm) while breathing air of two or threefold density.

The improvements which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, are- 1 In combination with the compressed-air chamberl Aand exterior jacket, B, the heatingcoil a, or its equivalent, forradiating warmth equally through the metallic sides or walls of saidbath-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination and arrangement of the steam-chest E andcompressed-air coil d d and valve d within the bath-chamber A, forwarming and regulating the temperature of the condensed air before itenters thc bath, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with a closed chamber or vessel for condensingair-baths and the pipes for the induction and eduction of air, Water,Svc., into and from the same, the employment ot' valves rr and d',arranged within the bathchamber so as to be controlled and operatedexclusively by the patient confined therein, substantially as and forthe purposes shown and described.

4. In combination with a compressed-air bath chamber, the safety-valvel2, so arranged as to be inaccessible to the occupant of the bath,substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In combination with the air-chamber A and water-reservoirs L and M,the pipes u u, or their equivalent, for the purpose of maintainingwithin said reservoirs a pressure corresponding With that within theair-bath, as and for the lpurposes set forth.

6. In connection with the cold-air bath, the

introduction or application of artificial heat In witness whereof I havehereunto signed into or in contact with the compressed-air bath my namein the presence of two subscribing simultaneously with the letting oft'of the cou- Witnesses.

densed air, for the purpose of restoring the caloric which becomeslatent by the sudden PAUL T.Y"WARE. rarefaction of the air in thebath-chamber,

thereby preventing the formation of vapor and Witnesses:

the chilling of the patient, substantially as JAY HYATT,

herein set forth. J. C. 000K.

